Wow, it looks as if I am not the first and likely not the last to be disappointed by the Yanagi experience. My wife and I are avid sushi explorers and though we have learned to really appreciate quality, fresh, well made sushi, we are inclined to lower the bar from time to time and eat what we would expect to be "passable" in order to satisfy the urge for raw fish and seaweed. Okay, so maybe we are addicts and not avid explorers, but either way we expect to at least get what we pay for.
Once, twice, three times a... Third time was a charm for us. We literally just returned 15 minutes ago from our very LAST experience at this poor excuse for a sushi bar. So bad was this last encounter that I am compelled to write my first bad review of, well...anything.
The staff: You are greeted as you enter the room with joyous greetings in unison from the restaurant staff. This is the first taste of plastic personality that you will be treated to. The waiter(ess) will likely come to your table with the most forced smile you have ever seen several times throughout the meal and ask you if everything is okay. I take it from the obvious concern that she too is aware of the probable dissatisfaction you will be walking away with. Aside from that, we have had the waiter get some aspect of our order wrong each time we have visited. Apologies are all you will get when they do make a mistake and sometimes they will even try to "tactfully" imply that it was really your fault.
This time they even tried to charge us for two nigiris that we did not get, one that we did not order and the other that we ordered that was just never delivered. While our bill was corrected we were treated to the cashier and the sushi chef arguing from across the room as to whose fault it was.
The menu: Standard Korean sushi bar fair. This does not strike me as a real Japanese sushi bar, but I am not entirely sure. I can only hope not. Quite a few "special" rolls that are fried, slathered in mayonnaise sauce or both. Twice now our rolls were not as advertised in the menu and once they actually substituted the sea eel that I ordered with fresh water eel (there really is a difference, i swear). This time I put it to the test and ordered both. Bingo! The waiter came back to me and told me that they were out of sea eel. I suspect this was the case last time as well, but when faced with having to provide both Superman and Clark Kent on the same plate, they had no choice but come clean.
The food: Marginal at best. I do not expect a rocket to the moon to depart from a train station, but at least for an average of $5.00 per pair of nigiri I expect to halfway enjoy it. I absolutely do not recommend this place to anyone who appreciates even mediocre sushi. For the purpose of eating sushi this place is a major fail. read more